Blogs

Sip or Skip? The Great Khaati Chaach (sour buttermilk) Debate

Many patients with a range of illnesses walk into our Amrit clinics (rural primary care clinics in tribal south Rajasthan), sharing that they have received cautionary food advice from their traditional healers (‘bhopas’), unqualified providers (often known as ‘Bengalis’), and even qualified doctors at Primary Health Centers (PHCs). They are desperate to find out if … Continue reading Sip or Skip? The Great Khaati Chaach (sour buttermilk) Debate

Let us create a full Circle-of-Care plan for people with Tuberculosis: a lesser approach will not suffice

A month ago a team of nurses, health workers and public health professionals in our team sat down to call Tuberculosis (TB) patients who had not been coming to the clinic for their medicines. For context, the 6 AMRIT Clinics run by Basic Healthcare Services see over 1000 new patients of TB every year. Over … Continue reading Let us create a full Circle-of-Care plan for people with Tuberculosis: a lesser approach will not suffice

Steering their own path

We often equate women empowerment with parameters of obtaining education and employment opportunity. While these hold true, several other factors including ‘lack of freedom of mobility’ can hinder the process or create a dependency on others to fulfil this wish.  In cities public transport offers a great medium for women to travel independently. Personally, for … Continue reading Steering their own path

Beyond the Urban Veil: The RSP Experience

I remember we were having a conversation about how important it is To feel. How it is the only constant through life’s tedious journey. So I summed up all I felt during these three life-altering days at RSP! You’re tired. You’re excited. It is a weird mix. You haven’t stepped out of your house alone … Continue reading Beyond the Urban Veil: The RSP Experience

Narbada Meena – Nurturing the Next Generation

It takes almost an hour to travel by car from Salumber district town to the Phulwari in Ghated. The road is not very good, but neither is it a dirt track – a tarred, winding road, never losing sight of the Aravali ranges. “That is Mahadev Pahadi,” says Malaram ji, a community coordinator and my … Continue reading Narbada Meena – Nurturing the Next Generation

Swagibai Gameti- The Harbinger of Community Health

Swagibai Gameti confidently tells me her address – village Patiya – but falters when I ask her age – perhaps it is forty or fifty, she says with a shrug. Her spontaneous smile is ageless indeed. We are sitting on the roof of the nurse quarter at the Amrit clinic at Morwal, district Udaipur. I … Continue reading Swagibai Gameti- The Harbinger of Community Health

More Than a Day: Committing to a Future of Safe, Joyful and Respectful Motherhood

National Safe Motherhood Day is celebrated on 11th April every year all over India. The day reminds us to refocus our attention on ensuring safe motherhood for all pregnant women, respect and dignity during labour and provide essential care throughout pregnancy, during delivery and even post that. This is the story of Ganga (name changed … Continue reading More Than a Day: Committing to a Future of Safe, Joyful and Respectful Motherhood

Meet our Bhanu Sister: No challenge too great, she is unstoppable!

A small plump, fair woman with an infectious smile and warm hug welcomes us to the PHC at Nithauwa. After the initial greetings we occupy the now-empty training hall to talk. I am immediately taken in by Chandrabhanu’s jolly demeanour. It is her warmth that makes me feel as if we know each other for … Continue reading Meet our Bhanu Sister: No challenge too great, she is unstoppable!

Women who Aspire … and Inspire – Part 2

Civil society organizations often grapple with the challenge of representing their achievements, and fall back on numbers to quantify the elusive dream of social change – the number of malnourished children has reduced to x, and child mortality in the area is down by y – but the significance of some achievements is impossible to … Continue reading Women who Aspire … and Inspire – Part 2

Women who Aspire … and Inspire

Dear Readers, As we anticipate the arrival of Women’s Day, we are excited to continue our tradition of honoring the remarkable women who form the backbone of our organization. These women enrich our lives and communities each day with their unwavering courage, resilience, and determination. However, on this special occasion, we feel compelled to shine … Continue reading Women who Aspire … and Inspire

सोलर की कहानी

सच मे अमृत क्लीनिक में सोलर इन्स्टालेशन एक कहानी सा लगता हैं I दक्षिणी राजस्थान के दूर दराज़ के क्षेत्रों में घर—बिजली-पानी के हालात अच्छे नहीं है, और खास बात यह है कि वहाँ बसे समुदाय को इसकी आदत ही हो गयी है I उन्हे इस बात से कोई खास फर्क नहीं पड़ता है, ना … Continue reading सोलर की कहानी

Shifting Perspectives: Rural Sensitization and the Future of Medical Education

The global health policy agenda emphasizes the need to establish universal healthcare for all. From Alma Ata declaration to Sustainable Development Goals, India’s commitment to Health for All has remained undeterred. It essentially means that all individuals should have access to all kinds of quality health services they need, when and where they need them, … Continue reading Shifting Perspectives: Rural Sensitization and the Future of Medical Education

YOUNG DOCTORS, STRONG VOICES – PART II

REFLECTIONS From the Rural Sensitisation Program held in BHS, Rajasthan. “We are all like those little pieces of Jigsaw puzzles, might seem useless when held alone, but when all these tiny pieces unite, there is a scenery never seen before.” ————————— The Rural Sensitisation Programs have been running since 2017. They have a significant number … Continue reading YOUNG DOCTORS, STRONG VOICES – PART II

YOUNG DOCTORS, STRONG VOICES – PART I

Rural Sensitization Programs (RSP) are 3-day camps organized for medical students to explore alternative approaches to healthcare, discuss current issues and also reflect on their role as contributors to the health of our country. Here are two detailed take-aways. By Shubham Verma, University College of Medical Sciences, New Delhi “When I saw the brochure of … Continue reading YOUNG DOCTORS, STRONG VOICES – PART I